Essential gig tool\spares/emergency kit?

[The Admiral 3]

Just looking to update my ideas on gig kit and wondered what everyone takes. I'm a bit belt and braces, so tend to have a lot of options covered, but I'd definitely welcome some thoughts, not least as I'm doing a bit of work with a young originals band,and they need to sort their own out for a big gig in Feb.

All suggestions gratefully received.

Cheers

A

[Happy Jack 4,701]

Just take a middle aged bass player. He'll have everything you need in his people carrier parked outside.

[CamdenRob 386]

I have a small leather pouch I take to all rehearsals / gigs... (No it is not a ladies purse. ) and in it I have fuses (plug and amp) spare batteries (bass and tuner) truss rod / saddle tools, string cutters and all the various little bits and bobs I might need.

Asides from that, bass, cable, amp, cab and I'm ready oh and also a spare set of strings and spare cable in the gigbag.

... (honestly it isn't a ladies purse )

[Pinball 165]

Batteries, gaffa tape and a little tool kit.
If your looking to cover everything take a spare bass.
If something happened to my amplification in most emergencies you can DI

[casapete 1,870]

I have pretty much 2 of everything , although didn't have a spare strap with me when our guitarist broke
his a few weeks ago. I do now. Spares of everything don't have to be top quality either, just good enough
to see you through the gig. I have a spare mic which is only a cheap Peavey PVI but is certainly up to
the job should anything go wrong with my SM 58 beta.
And as mentioned already, a DI box of some sort is essential.. The good old Behringer BD 121 is the ideal
bit of kit for this, at a price that makes it invaluable.

[Twincam 95]

Super glue is handy. Can repair a nut even a cracked one to get you through (be careful of application!!!) and it can also be used to stick wiring to pots, jacks etc in an emergency where a soldering iron is unlikely to be handy, again careful of application. I've seen this in action and it works ok.

[colgraff 0]

Almost nothing. Spare lead, extension lead. That's about it. I'm quite fastidious re maintenance of gear, though, so the chances of much going wrong are vanishingly small. In 30+ years of gigging, the worst that has happened was an A string giving way which made for some exciting fingering.

[toneknob 251]

2x screwdrivers (flat head, phillips)
2x allen keys (1 for adjusting a Badass 2 bridge, the other for adjusting every other bridge ever)
fresh 9v battery
string snips
string winder
pencil

...all in a Muji squishy travel sponge bag bag type thing.

[alyctes 484]

Screwdrivers, batteries, leads, mics. Paracetamol, sticking plasters. Extension lead. My own personal medication.

Edited January 29, 2016 by alyctes

[tauzero 1,203]

Spare bass, spare amp, two 1x12s so I've got a bit of redundancy, leads as well as wireless. PA is two Mackie SRM450s and a pair of Behringer BD210s for monitoring. Spare batteries, box of cheap wired mics in case there's any severe issues with wireless.

[colgraff 0]

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1454105602' post='2966610']
My own personal medication.
[/quote]

Good idea. I should take mine in case I get lucky at a gig, too....

[TimR 2,207]

Cowbell.

[Cameronj279 4]

I always have the following in my gig bag
[list]
[*]pliers/string cutters
[*]spare 9v battery (I really should carry two considering one of my basses is 18v)
[*]screwdriver
[*]allan keys
[*]pen/pencil
[*]small torch (to be fair, it's for the luminlay markers but it's a damn good torch if required)
[*]generally keep a pick or two in there for the guitarists inevitable incident.
[/list]

[Roland Rock 31]

Ummmmm... Gaffer tape

[RhysP 25]

I never took anything, not even spare strings - I've never broken a bass string in 36 years of playing.
The only thing that ever let me down at a gig was my poxy Trace Elliott amp.

[4stringslow 0]

Edited January 29, 2016 by 4stringslow

[BottomE 2]

Spare Strings, batteries, Cruz Tool kit with torch, alun keys, screwdriver and string cutters, leads, spare strap, spare tuner. All of these live in my gig bag as well as the band pen.

[paul h 10]

A towel.

[Oopsdabassist 543]

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1454228890' post='2967578']
A towel.
[/quote]

You hoopy frood you!

[Lozz196 5,428]

Got a tour booked for later on this year, so my essentials bag will contain:
[list]
[*]pliers/string cutters
[*]spare 9v batteries
[*]screwdrivers
[*]truss-rod adjuster
[*]allan keys
[*]pen/pencil & paper
[*]small torch
[*]spare picks
[*]spare strings
[*]spare of each lead
[*]different types of speaker leads in case asked to use provided cabs with jack inputs etc
[*]spare amp (small one of course)
[/list]
Hopefully I`ll need nonoe of it, but better to be there than not.

[LayDownThaFunk 0]

Woah. I know people like to prepare but some of this stuff is insane. I take spare leads for bass/amp/pedals and have a spare 9V battery for my passive bass... My bass has never 'broke' in over 200 gigs, I've never snapped a string, I use the DI from my MXR M80 in case my amp goes but it never has.

A bottle opener is an essential tool I use every gig.

[rushbo 307]

I have a flight case the size of a small suitcase full of stuff - my guitar stands, mics, leads, power cables, little tool kit, speakons for my cabs etc. Also inside are a couple of clear pencil cases full of things like aspirin, patch leads, batteries, torches, etc. Every so often, I have a look at it to see if I can remove anything I haven't used over the last few gigs. I can't remember the last time I took anything out.

I envy the guys that just rock up with their combo in one hand and their bass in the other.

[LayDownThaFunk 0]

Aspirin?! Jesus! I bring my own beer to gigs!

[spongebob 201]

Not a lot - I bought a small toolbag from Amazon a couple of years back, as beforehand, I just to stuff it all in my hardcase!

Now I always take spare leads, picks, tuner, screwdriver set, earplugs, stand - all fits in the bag.

Never carry spare strings, though.....banking on the fact that flats live forever.....!

[rushbo 307]

Beer I can live without. Aspirin...not so much. If you'd ever played with our drummer, you'd understand.